Tool for applying cable clips



y 1944. B. v. KRUG-ER- 2,353,908

TOOL FOR APPLYING CABLE CLIPS Filed May 51, 1943 //7) c 7f0/' Eff/70rdKruger Patented July 18, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,353,908 TOOLFOR APPLYING CABLE curs Bernard v. Kruger, Long Beach, Calif.Application May 31, 1943, Serial No. 489,173 3 Claims. (01. 21s 19) IThis invention has to do with a tool for applying devices known as cableclips, it being a general object of the invention to provide a simple,effective and practical device or tool for applying a cable clip to awall fixture, junction box, or other part to which such clip isapplicable.

There are various situations in which cables, or the like, are joinedwith other parts such as fixtures, junction boxes, or panels. Devices.known as cable clips are commonly employed in making such connections.In using such cable clips it is common to form a hole or bore throughthe wall to which the clip is to be applied. The clip itself is a sheetmetal member having ears to engage the inner and outer surfaces of thewall surrounding the opening therein. The clips as provided havepre-formed radially projecting ears at what I will term their inner endsto engage the inner surface of the wall, and axially projecting cars attheir outer ends designed to be bent over or outward to engage the outersurface of the wall. Cable-engaging arms also project from the outerends of the clips. In practice the clips are applied by merely bendingthe outer ears over. However, that operation, though seemingly simple,actually gives considerable difliculty. In most cases it is attempted bymeans of hammering, and as a result it is not infrequent that the wallto which the clip is applied is marred or injured. Further, in practice,it is extremely difficult to get the ears tight against the surfaces sothat the clip is firm in the opening.

It is a general object of this invention to provide a tool for applying'clips which operates to simply, quickly and effectively bend the earsof the clips in a manner to accurately and closely conform to thesurfaces of the clip-holding wall.

It is another object of my invention to provide a device of the generalcharacter mentioned which effectively bends the ears of the clipswithout hammering action or without in any way injuring or damagingeither the clips or the parts to which they are applied.

Another object of my invention is to provide a tool of the charactermentioned which is extremely simple of construction and also simple andconvenient to handle, making it possible to use in confined places andWhere it is diiiicult to work.

The various objects and features of my invention will be fullyunderstood from the following detailed description of a typicalpreferred form and application of my invention, throughout 55,

which description reference is made to the accompanying drawing, inwhich:

Fig. '1 is a front end elevation of a clip of the type handled by thetool of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the clipshowing it inserted in an opening provided in a wall and in positionready to be secured in the opening. Fig. 3 is a view illustrating afixture or junction box having a clip applied thereto and ready toreceive a cable, or the like. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the toolprovided by my invention. Fig. 5 is an enlarged longitudinal detailedsectional View of the tool showing it in working relation to a clip andwall, the parts being shown in section and in starting position, andFig. 6 is a detailed transverse sectional view taken as indicated bylines 6-4 on Fig. 5.

The tool of the present invention is applicable to clips of variousstyles, sizes or designs. However, it is particularly applicable to thestandard type of clip commonly used to join cables with devices such asjunction boxes, panels, etc.

In Fig. 3 I illustrate a side elevationof a typical fixture or junctionbox H), the side wall ll of which is cylindrical. The wall II has anopening to which a clip I2 is applied. Fig. 2 illustrates the curvatureor contour of the wall II at the point where the clip is applied, theclip ,being'shown inserted in an opening l3 formed in the wall I l forthat purpose. The clip illustrated includes, generally, a splitring-shaped body I lv provided at what I will term its inner end with aplurality of radially projecting ears l5 and at its outer end with aplurality of axially projecting ears I6 and a plurality of axiallyprojecting cable clamping arms II. There are, in effect, three innerears l5 spaced 120 apart around the body, one of these ears occurring atthe split l8 in the body so that it is-divided, having one portion ateither end of the body. There are, in effect, three cable clamping armsI! located at the outer end of the body opposite the inner ears I5, thearm occurring at the split l8 being divided as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.There are three outer ears l6 and they are spaced between the cableclamping arms ll. With thisgeneral arrangement the inner ears and outerears are not opposite each other at the two ends of the body l4, but arespaced substantially apart around the body.

The tool provided by my invention includes,

generally, two cooperating die members A and B.

The die member A engages or cooperates with the inner end portion of theclip while the die member B engages or acts on the outer end of theclip. The invention provides means 6' for operating the die members Aand B so that they act to turn the outer ears E outwardly to clamp themtightly against the outer surface 20 of the wall II.

The inner die member A has a body portion 2| provided with a central oraxial threaded opening 22 to receive the operating screw 23 of the meansC. The invention provides a hub 24 on the inner or Working end of thedie member A to fit into the inner end portion of the clip body I4 asclearly shown in Fig. 5. The invention further provides an ear engagingface 26 on the. inner end of the die member body surrounding orprojecting beyond the hub 24 and having a curvature or contourcorresponding to that of the inner surface 21 of the wall II. The earengaging face 26 is designed to bear against the inner :3.

ears I5 of the clip as the tool ope-rates and to shape or form the innerears to the contour of the inner surface 21 of the wall I I. Theclips'as provided may have the inner ears I5 projecting radially, asshown in Fig. 2., in which case the ear engaging face- 26 of the diemember A operates to shape or conform the inner ears so that they beartightly against the inner surface or take the contour thereof.

The outer die member- B is designed to deflect or bend the outer ears I6of the clip outwardly into bearing engagement with the outer surface ofthe wall I I. The die member B has a body portion 30 provided at itsinner end with a hub- 3I similar to the hub 24 of die member A anddesigned to enter or fit into the outer end portion of the clip body I4.A clip-forming face 33 is provided on the inner end of the die member Bsurrounding or projecting outwardly from the hub 3 I, the face '33 beingshaped to correspond to the curvature or contour of the surface 2| ofthe wall II so that it acts to give the outer ears'IG that shape orcontour. A curved portion or" fillet 34 joins the hub 3| and the earforming surface 33 and acts to start the ears outwardly as the tool isoperated. This fillet is best shown'in Fig. 5 of the drawing. I

It is important that the tool be such as to effectively bend or act onthe ears of the clip without distorting or in any way disturbing" theclamp arms I1 thereof. To accomplish this I provide longitudinalchannels 36 in the body 33 of die member B to freely receive or pass thearms I I. There being in general three clamp arms I1 I' provide threechannels 36. These channels allow the die members A and B to be movedaxially relative to each other without in any way disturbing ordistorting the clamp arms.

The means C provided for operating the die members A and B includes,primarily, an operating screw threaded into' the opening 2I in diemember A and slidably fitting a bore or opening 40 formed axially in thebody 30 of die member B. A hex head, or the like, 4| is provided on theouter end of the screw 23 to engage the outer end face 42 of th diemember.

As the tool illustrated is operated it is important that it be in thecorrect rotative position in the opening I3 so that the ear engagingfaces of the die members are concentric with the axis of curvature ofthe wall II. provide a handle 45 on the die member B preferablyprojecting radially therefrom in a manner to be conveniently engaged bythe operator. The handle 45 maybe a bar threaded into an openingprovided in member A.

In using the tool the clip, as shown in Figs. 1

For this purpose 1' and 2, is first inserted in the opening I3 providedin the wall I I so that the inner ears I5 of the clip contact the innersurface 21 of the wall. The die members A and B of the tool are thenapplied to or assembled in engagement with the clip by applying diemember A to the inner end, die member B to the outer end of the clip,and operating th screw 23 to bring the parts to the position shown inFig. 5. From this starting position as the screw 23 is operated and thehandle 45 held to maintain the inner die member in the proper rotativeposition relative to the wall I I the die members are moved or forcedtogether so that the outer die member B moves toward the wall II' and inso doing first deflects the ears I6 "die me'mberB. As the operationcontinues and the die member B approaches the die member A the outerears I6 are bent to conform to the outer surface 20 of wall II and asthe final pressure is applied the inner ears I5 and'the outer ears I6 ofthe clip are simultaneously and effectively forced into grippingengagement with the-surfaces of the wall II. This operation having beencompleted the screw 23 i operated to disengage the die members allowingthem to be taken from the clip. By the operation of the tool as abovedescribed the ears of the clip are tightly applied to th surfaces of theWall II, this having been accomplished without in any way impairing theWall II.

It is to be understood that if the invention is to be used in applyingclips to walls shaped differently from what I have hown the parts of thetool may be shaped to bend the ears to fit or conform to such shapes.

Having described only a typical preferred form and application of myinvention, I do not wish to be limited or restricted to the specificdetails herein set forth, but wish to reserve to myself any variationsor modifications that may appear to those skilled in the art or fallwithin the scope of the following claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A tool for applying a clip to a curved wall, the clip including anannular body to be inserted in an opening in the wall and having innerears radially projecting to engage the inner surface of the Wall, outerears projecting axially from the outer end of the body and adapted to bebent into engagement with the outer surface of the wall, and clamp armsprojecting from the outer end of the body, the tool including, an innerdie having a hub to enter the annular body and a die face surroundingthe hub to engage the inner ears and curved to correspond to the innersurface of the wall, an outer die having a hub to enter the body, a diefac surrounding the hub to engage the outer ears and bend them intoengagement with the outer surface of the wall and being curved tocorrespond to the outer surface of the wall, the outer die havingchannels to freely receive the arms, a screw carried by the outer diehaving a head at th outer end of the outer die and threaded into theinner die, and a handle on the inner die.

2. A tool for applying a clip to a Wall, the clip including an annularbody to be inserted in an opening in the wall and having inner earsradially projecting to engage the inner surface of the Wall, outer earsprojecting axially from the outer end of the body and adapted to be bentinto engagement with the outer surface of the wall, and clamp armsprojecting from the outer end of the body, the tool including an innerdie having a" hub to enter the annular body and a die face surroundingthe hub to engage the inner ears, an outer die having a hub to enter thebody, a die face surrounding the hub to engage the outer ears and bendthem into engagement with the outer surface of the wall, the outer diehaving channels to freely receive the arms, and means interconnectingsaid dies for causing axial compressing movement thereof.

3. A tool for applying a clip to a curved wall, the clip iincluding anannular body to be inserted in an opening in the wall and having innerears radially projecting to engage the inner surface of the wall, outerears projecting axially from the outer end of the body and adapted to bebent into engagement with the outer surface of the wall, and clamp armsprojecting. from the outer end of the body, the tool including an innerdie having a hub to enter the annular body and a die face surroundingthe hub to engage the inner ears and curved to correspond to the innersurface of the wall, an outer die having a hub to enter the body, a dieface surrounding the hub to engage the outer ears and bend them into 1engagement with the outer surface of the wall

